OSRAM GmbH and Nichia Corporation have entered into patent cross license agreements in 2002 and 2010. As a result, both companies are allowed to use each other’s patents licensed under the respective agreement in its own nitride-based semiconductor products such as blue, green, and white LED and laser components.

Aldo Kamper, CEO of Osram Opto Semiconductors, and Hiroyoshi Ogawa, president of Nichia Corporation met at the light+building in Frankfurt, Germany, and expressed their wish to expand and strengthen the license cooperation.

Ogawa and Kamper share the view that much has happened in this industry since the companies signed the last license agreement in 2010. “To further advance LED and laser technology, Nichia and Osram have spent, in total, more than €2.5 billion in research and development since 2011,” Kamper said.

The two companies now agree to enter into negotiations of a cross license covering approximately 7,000 new patent applications including approximately 2,000 granted patents from Nichia and Osram (all figures are worldwide figures), covering automotive, general lighting, LCD backlights, display, medical and industrial applications and full range of opto-electronics products.